Latest KFF Health News Stories
Hospitals Slow To Adopt Electronic Health Records
Few hospitals met strict federal guidelines intended to speed adoption of electronic health records, a new study finds.
Feds Delay Launch Of Database Showing Drugmakers’ Payments To Doctors
The system, which had been expected to go public on Sept. 30, will show payments from drug and medical device makers to doctors. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it temporarily took down the system to investigate a possible problem.
Marketplace News: Walmart Positions Itself As A Primary Care Provider
The big-box retailer is stepping up efforts to become a destination for medical services, including chronic disease management.
Viewpoints: Finding Drug Discounts In Canada; Mo.’s Answer To Rural Doctor Shortage
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that President Barack Obama signed into law the $16.3 billion measure to overhaul the veterans’ health system.
Analysis: 90% Of Uninsured Exempt From Health Law Mandate
The number of people likely to face penalties for not complying with the overhaul’s insurance mandate is estimated at 4 million — down from the previous projection of 6 million, according to the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation.
Poll Looks At Uninsured Rates In Some States
A new Gallup poll shows that Kansas was one of just three states that saw an increase in its uninsured rate while Connecticut’s rate was cut in half.
State Highlights: Abortion Curbs And Senate Fights; Vt.’s Single Payer March
A selection of health policy stories from Vermont, West Virginia, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Wisconsin and Massachusetts.
Florida 2015 Individual Insurance Rates Not As Bad As Feared: White House
Obama administration officials challenged reports that individual plans will go up an average of 13.2 percent next year. In addition, there are updates on Connecticut and Washington state insurance cost and coverage.
The health law built in changes to the system of coverage for lower-income people.
Questions Arise About Hospice Companies As Discharge Rates Increase
When so many patients leave a hospice alive, it could signal problems such as inadequate care or companies seeking financial gains by enrolling people who should not have been considered hospice patients, The Washington Post reports.
Health Law Brings Changes For Small Business Regarding Insurance Coverage
The Wall Street Journal reports that, even though businesses with fewer than 50 employers are exempt from the health law’s most stringent requirements, they still face challenges. Also, patient groups increasingly worry that coverage through the overhaul’s exchanges might shift drug costs to people with chronic illnesses, and HIV and AIDS advocates have filed a formal complaint about drug pricing.
Medicare Benefits From Immigrants, Study Says
A study by the Partnership for a New American Economy concluded that immigrants make a substantial contribution to the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund — putting more into the system than they take out. Also in the news, the Center for Public Integrity examines how Medicare Advantage plans may routinely overbill the health insurance program for older Americans.
Viewpoints: Why Emory Accepted American Ebola Cases; Calls For Terrified Americans To ‘Chill Out’
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Obama To Sign Overhaul Of Veterans’ Health Care
Veterans are expected to have an easier time getting health care under a $16.3 billion measure the president is expected to sign into law Thursday, enabling the hiring of thousands of doctors and nurses.
Longer Looks: Kentucky Is Health Law Poster Child; The Ebola Outbreak
This week’s articles come from Time, Health Affairs, The New Republic, The New York Times, Vox, The New Yorker and Stanford Medicine.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including stories about how uninsured people fare with the health law’s exemptions.
Gallup Survey: States That Embraced Health Law See Big Drops In Uninsured
The study found that states that expanded Medicaid and set up their own exchanges experienced greater declines in the rate of uninsurance than those that didn’t. Nationwide, the percentage of uninsured Americans dropped from 18 percent in September 2013, to 13.4 percent in June 2014, according to the survey.
Some States Boost Transparency Of Insurance Rate Review Amid Criticism
Connecticut regulators deny an insurer’s proposed rate increase but criticize the state’s public hearing process. Meanwhile, Illinois officials give the public online access to rate filings and Florida advocates blame state lawmaker’s suspension of rate review for the big premium increases in that state.
Treating Americans With Untested Ebola Drug Raises Concerns
Using the experimental drug before it is tested in clinical trials will make it difficult to determine whether it is actually safe and effective, say scientists. Meanwhile, African officials say they have been inundated with requests from dying patients and their relatives for the same treatment.
